ABBEY ROAD - We Visited The Beatles Recording Studio
1967 - Sgt Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band
Abbey Road Studios
Abbey Road is about a mile from our apartment. It would have been a shame to come home without seeing it.
Abbey Road Studios has been in continuous use since 1931. George Martin worked there as a producer over 10 years before he signed the Beatles to record there in 1962. The studios are quite large - some of the recording rooms being as large as a basketball court. The Beatles recorded all their albums there - some with a 100 piece orchestra.
The road has been made famous by the "Zebra" crossing out front. For the Abbey Road album - the Beatles posed crossing the street. 50 years later - people come to Abbey Road just to pose for that crossing. You are not allowed to go in the studios without permission - so it has become a pilgrimage for people to come here and stare. They let you write on the courtyard wall - although they repaint it every 3 months.
They said that the Beatles would never last. They recorded together for about 10 years. The music lives on and people come here to show their love. I was 14 when I bought my first Beatle's album for $2.49. I remember playing it over and over again - like yesterday. It is fun seeing generation appreciate the music - the Beatles did some wonderful new things with sound.
There is a small store next to the studio where you can buy all their recordings and other trinkets. I was surprised to see a complete Beatles set of their songs selling for 50 pounds - heck we paid more than that for their music 50 years ago - and I was only making $1 an hour working for Morris Heisler.
Many other musicians recorded at Abbey Road. King Edward VI made his famous "Kings Speech" in this studio. He was the stuttering king.
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